Motion transmitting remote control assemblies for transmitting motion in a curved path are used in aircraft, automotive, and marine environments. Typical of the use of such remote control assemblies is the positioning of heater and vent control members in automobiles.
In such applications, it is frequently desirable to adjust the length or position of the end of the core element once the assembly has been installed. Such assemblies normally include one or more fittings secured to the conduit for attaching the conduit to a support structure of the automobile, and the core element is adapted at one end to be attached to a member to be controlled whereas the other end is attached to a manually graspable knob for longitudinally moving the core element. After the assembly has been installed, the position of the knob must be adjusted to correspond with the position of the member to be controlled so that both the knob and member to be controlled reach their terminal end stroke positions at exactly the same time. This is accomplished by either adjusting, manually or automatically, the length of the core element or the length of the conduit, as is well known in the art.
An example of a prior art adjustment assembly is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,784 to Bennett issued May 30, 1972 and assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. This patent discloses an adjustment means attached to the core element for adjusting the effective length of the core element in response to a predetermined force. This assembly, however, does not allow the adjustment means to be manually locked into position after adjusting the overall length of the core element to a desired length and then unlocked to readjust the length of the core element.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,123 to Stocker, issued Sept. 26, 1989 discloses a cable length adjuster including a housing, slider and a latch moveable normal to the direction of slider movement from an unlocked position to a locked position as the assembly is connected to a control member. This assembly, however, has the disadvantage that the control member must be disconnected prior to readjustment of the cable length.
In addition, U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 619,001, filed Nov. 28, 1990, discloses a cable length adjuster comprised of three members. The third member interconnects the first and second members and is moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position. Two rows of oppositely inclined teeth on a third member are moveable into engagement with two rows of oppositely inclined teeth on a first member to effect locking. The second member receives a control member and thereby couples the control member to the core element. However, by requiring three members the cost of production is increased. Additionally, the assembly has the disadvantage that the specific configuration of the second member does not allow the control element to be received transversely to the core axis which in some applications is required because of space restrictions.